Latin

From the shores of Africa to the faraway lands of the Americas, the movements of Latin America will captivate you – from the first beat of the music and will definitely keep your toes tapping and hips moving as you make your way across the dance floor with style and ease and a smile on your face.

The International Ballroom classifications of Latin American dance include, Samba, Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Paso Doble and Jive, but an exciting new wave of Latin dances have become increasingly popular in dance studios and include Salsa, Kizomba, Bachata, Argentine Tango and many more that are making their way into dance studios across the world.

Cha Cha Cha – Lively and playful, the cha cha is earthy with intricate rhythms and its classic Cuban motion is what gives the cha cha its unique style.

Samba – this dance style was developed in Brazil during the 19th century and there are many styles of Samba. Ballroom partner Samba is comprised of a number of different styles of the South American Samba dances. It’s incredibly rhythmical with fast footwork. The Samba Bounce Action is what really sets it apart from other Latin American dances in the dance studio.

Rumba – The romantic rumba is the most sensual of all the Latin dances. The Rumba is the slowest of the competition Latin dances and its distinctive Cuban Motion is a very important element in this style of dance.

Paso Doble – This literally means “two step” in Spanish but actually originated in the South of France. It’s a very dramatic and expressive form of dance with steps of a marching nature. This theatrical dance style is modelled after Spanish Bullfighting in which the gentleman is traditionally characterised as the matador and the lady as his cape – a dance style that is more popular in competitions than social dancing itself.

Jive – If you’re South African, let’s think Sophiatown “Meadowlands” during its prime. Jive is a an incredibly lively dance which originated in the USA in the 40’s and was influenced by the Jitterbug, the American Swing dances, Lindyhop and Rock & Roll.